Island



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. GORLISS.

(No Model.)

SAFE LOOK.

Patented Jar-1.30.1833.

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W. GORLISS.

SAFE LOCK.

' (No Model.)

Patented Ja,11.30,1883.`

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QM @m Witnesmz UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE,

WILLIAM OORLISS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SAFE-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,312, dated January 30, 1883. Application filed June 30, 1882. (No modell) `i'nll and exact description thereof.

In a patent to me, dated July 25, 1882, No. 261,532, I have. described a locking mechanism for safes, a principal feature of which is a cer-l tain arrangement'of'the lock proper with relation to the mechanism for throwing the bolt or bolts which secure the door, whereby the lock performs, conjointly with certain parts ot' the locking mechanism, an active function essential to the act ot' withdrawing the securing bolt or bolts. The result of this arrangement is that the lock properis made a vital element ot' the door-opening mechanism.

In safes as ordinarily constructed the lock proper, when locked, performs merely apassive function in obstructing, by means of one of its members, the operation ot' the bolt-work. It follows therefrom that in such safes the door may he readily opened after simply removing1 the lock proper,while in asafe constructed according to my invention, as described -in my above-mentioned application for patent, any derangement of the delicate parts of the lock, or any change of position ofthe entire lock by undue violence or'otherwise, will render the `opening ot' the safe a practical impossibilty.

According to the presentinvention 1 avail myself of these peculiar qualities of my locking mechanism to still further increase the safety against unauthorized persons obtaining access to the interior of the safe by inclosing the lock properin an extra burglar-proof Casin g slightly fastened in the interior of the safe, so that even if a burglar should succeed in drilling or otherwise forming a sufficient hole through the door or walls of the safe he will encounter the resistance offered by said eXtra burglar-proof casing when -he attempts to tamper with the lock, which, as above stated, he is obliged to doin order to be able to operate the door-securing bolt or bolts. Such extra burglar-proof casing may be made entirely of some very hard and practically undrillable material; but I prefer to make it of soft metal thickly studded with pieces of hardened steel. This construcr tion, by presenting different degrees of hardness, precludes all possibility ot" penetrating this casing by means of drills. I believe that in this manner the lock will be protected sufficiently against the possibility of tampering with it, even for a length of time exceeding that which, under the most favorable circumstances, a burglar is supposed to have for ef-` fectinghis purpose. I provide, however, means ofsafetyadditionaltothoseindicated. The nature of the material of the eXtra burglar-proof casing is such that when an attempt is made to pert'orate it a very powerful pressure must be brought on the drill in attempting to make it efficient. l fasten this casingto the interior ofthe door, orof the walls of the safe, by comparatively slight fastenings, which will give way as soon as any excessive pressure is applied to the tool.' The easing, with its inclosed lock, will consequently be forced off or displaced t'rom its proper position, which will render the co-operation of the lock with the boltsecuring mechanism impossible, and thus leave the latter in its locked position without possibility of being opened.

One method in which experienced burglars attempt, under certain circumstances, to obtain access tolthe lock or locks of safes is to drill out or to draw the spindle or shaft by which the lock is worked from the outside. In order to defeat this method ofattack, such spindles are now sometimes made in two or more sections placed out of line and connected by means of gearing. When such gearing is placed on the inside of the door either the difculties encountered to obtain access to the lock after drilling or drawing the spindle would be small when the lock chances to be directly behind the hole thus formed; or when thisis not the case such hole allows, at any rate, the introduction of powder or of any other suitable explosive, the powerful action of which, when exploded, never fails, in the case of ordinary square, so-called, safes, to instantlylay open the entire contents. In some cases .such oiisetgearing is arranged within the body ofthedoor, so as to have burglar-proof material on both the outer and inner side thereof, and to avoid the possibility of making a continuous opening clear through the body o t' the door or wall of the safe, even after the exterior spindle is IOO Q errata sibility ot' reaching the lock through the spindie-hole, even should the spindle be removed. The introduction ot' explosives is also retarded until this further obstruction is removed. At

y the same time I greatly increase the facilities forexamining and repairing the parts when necessary. y

I have somewhat modified the mode of operating the transverse shafts or bolts which secure the main operating-shafts described in my above-mentioned application, and also the means therein described for still keeping said transverse bolts in the locked position, even if the peculiar clutch mechanism should, by some extraordinary means, or by accident., be expanded without the co-operation of the lock.

The accompanying drawings represent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention as applied to a safe of spherical or spheroidal form with a door opening inward, as set forth in the patent granted to me January 13, 1874, No. 146,382.

Figure lis an elevation of the interior of a circular-safe door provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on a larger scale on the line w Fig. l, certain parts being shown in plan. Fig. 3 represents, on a still larger scale, the detachable and slightly-fastened 'hurglar-proof-lock casing, with its contents.

It is a rear elevation with the back plate removed. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the same on the line y y, Fig. 3.v Fig.l 5 is a vertical section of certain parts on tlielinezz,Fig. 6; and Fig. 6 isa horizontal section on the line z z, Fig. 5.

Similarletters ofr'eferenccindicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the body of the door, supported on a bracket, B. The means for moving the door outward and inward and for expanding and contracting the circular bolt are the same as in my above-mentioned patent.

The transverse bolts G and D are screwthreaded, and provided each with a long square end, which is engaged within the corresponding square interior of the sleeve E, which is provided with a worm-wheel, e, in which engages the wormfofa short horizontal shaft, F,

vwhich is loosely supported in the hubs of two bevel-gear wheels, F F2, which latter may, one at a time, be engaged therewith by' means ot'a clutch-piece similar to that described in my above-mentioned patent. When thus engaged the rotation of a small crank (not shown) on the outside of the door acts through a bevelwheel, G, meshing into both wheels F' F2, to move the bolts C and D into or out of the recesses provided theret'orin the main operatingshafts H I, or in their respective nuts, as will be easily understood, and by. reason of the great purchase due to the worm-gear does this Very strongly, while transmitting but a slight strain through G, and consequently slight fastenings for the lock and its inclosing-case are suiiicient.

I prefer to employ two locks, J, each capable of working independently. Each lock is inclosed in a separate casing, K, one being mounted on each side of the bracket B. Both sides being exact counterparts of each other, a description of one will suffice. The casing K is a casting of soft brass. It. is constructed with a front shield, KZ, and side shields, K3 K* K5. Both the front shield, K2, and the sides K3 K4 K5 are drilled with a great number of holes, into which cylinders k, of hardened steel, are tightly driven, as represented in Figs. 3 and 4:. The back ot' the casing K, which can hardly be reached by any means,

lmay simply be formed of a steel plate, K',

screwed on firmly. This easing is/fastened to the door, or to an intermediate plate, as illustrated in the drawings, by means of comparatively-light screws k', the latter being tapped only to a short distance into the door or intermediate plate, so that any excessive pressure exerted on the casing K with a view to penetrate it will be sufficient to strip the threads of such fastenings and displace the entire casing K. with its contents. The lock J, inclosed in this casing, operates a bolt, L, sliding in suitable guideways formed in the latter. A pointed pin, Z, is carried on the bolt L, and extends ex, actly in line with the center of the shaft F, so long as the casing K is maintained in its normal position. the outside through the mechanism ofthe lock J the pin L is thrust forward into the shaft F, and is thus caused to act on and engage the clutch mechanism. The latter, when so acted upon, connects the adjacent wheel F or F2 firmly to the shaft F,'so that by turning the wheel G by means of a crank (not shown) on the outside of the door A the shaft F, and consequently the sleeve E, may be turned and the transverse bolts C and 1) withdrawn from their engagement with the nuts on the shafts H I, whereupon the main shafts H I may be By operating the bolt L fromA IIO IIC

operated to release the door and allow it to be arms Z l2 are connected to a piece, M, having a peculiarly-formed hole,.fm, through which extends the transverse bolt C. This hole has two large portions connected by a smaller.

The small portion is sufficient for the small squared part of the bolt C; but only the large parts o'f'the hole will admit the larger portion ot' such bolt. As long as the bolt U is screwed down*that is, engaged with the main shaft Il or its nut, and as long as both locks J are locked-that is, each with its bolt L in its backward or outward position-the piece M is held so that a solid part thereof is presented between the enlarged threaded part of the transverse bolt U audthe part a of the iixed frame work of the locking mechanism. These conditions prevent the openingot' the safe, even it', by some accident or otherwise, the clutch mechanism in the shaft F should be expanded without throwing the bolt L forward. When, however, by the proper working of the lock, one or the other of the bolts L is thrown forward or inward, the arm l or Z2 respectively' will throw the piece M in such position that an enlarged part of the hole m is presented above the threaded part ot' the bolt C to permit the latter to be screwed upward to liberate the main shaft H, so that the latter can be operated. The 1enlarged parts of the hole m should be so proportioned as to lit quiteolosely to the threaded part ot' the bolt (l, so as to allow the withdrawal of thelatter only in one of two definite positions ofthe piece M. This position being determined bythe forward motion ot' the bolt L, the displacement of the lock-casing K while the lock J is locked, and the consequent destruction of the connection between the bolt L and the piece M, will instantly destroy all control from the outside over the piece M, leaving the latter in such a position as to render the withdrawal of the bolt C impossible.

l can employ any kind of locks, as the locks J. l will describe them as combination-locks. lneach thelock-operating spindleN protrudes but to a small extent through the wall of the casing K, and carries on its overhangiug end a gear-wheel, n, which meshes into an intermediate wheel, n. The latter meshes in turn into a wheel, o, on the shat'tO, which extends through the entire thickness of the door, and is on the exterior connected in any ordinary or suitable manner to the knob of a combination-dial.

The invention may, as above stated, be applied to all kinds and forms of safes, and I do not confine myself to the spherical form referred to.

Modifications may be made in the details without departing from the principle ot' the invention. Certain parts may be used with out others; but l prefer the whole combined and arranged substantially as described.

,When only one vlock is to be employed one of the gear-wheels FV or F2 will be omitted; or the shaft F `may be omitted altogether and the pin l arranged as described in my patent above vreferred to. In this case the shape of the hole m in the piece M will be reduced to a simple round hole, and said piece will be permanently pivoted on one side to a part of thefixed framing, the other side being connected to an arm projecting from] a single bolt L.

The casing or casings K may be made en- Y taken to always arrange the'lock-spindle that passes through the door so that it. comes opposite the burglar-proof surface of the casing K. When a lock is used which, as herein set forth, must actively cooperate with the doorsecuring mechanism in order to open the safe, some advantages of my invention may even be realized, without the use of the extra drillproof' casing K, by simply fastening the ordinary lock-case, J, by means of fastenings that will give way as soon as an extraordinary strain is exerted upon the same; butin such case these fastenings should be much slighter than in the case ot' a drill-proof casing, so as to give way with absolute certainty, even under the comparatively light pressure that is exerted on the drill in penetrating ordinary materials, as brass, e.; but the use of the drill-proof casing K is preferable, as allowing the structure to be made more solid, and also an account of its considerable weight, which, ywhen the fastenings are once loosened, positively insures such a displacement that the proper ceo-operation ofthe parts to open the door is rendered absolutely impossible.

n Instead of brass, other soft metal may be used for the casing K. The improvements vmay be applied to safes of rectangular form.

The steel cylinders lr may be threaded and screwed into the soft metal; but I believe it sufficient to make them fit closely and drive or force them into place. y

I claim as my invention- 1. In a safe for valuables, the combination,`

with a lock, of a casing made separate from the safe and attached on the interior thereof', having a front shield, K2., and also side shields,

roo

K3 K4 K5, the latter extended inward, so as to protect the edges of the lock, all ot' approximately drill-proof construction and arranged in the interior thereof', substantially as herein specied.

2. In a safe for valuables the combination of a suitable door, means, substantially as specified, lor ngaging'the same with the safebody, and a lock arranged to actively co-operate with said engaging means, and fastened to the interior ofthe safe by slight fastenings, substantially as and for the purposes herein speciiied.

3. In a safe for valuables, the combination of a suitable door, means, substantially as specified, for engaging the saine with the safebody,a1ock arranged to actively co-operate with said engaging means, and a practically drill-proof casing containing said lock, held by slight fastenings, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

4:. In a safe for valuables, the spindle O, passing clear through the door proper, combined with offset-gearing on the interior ofthe door, operating the lock-spindle N, and with a drill-proof easing or body, K, containing the lock, mounted detachably on the interior ofthe door, opposite the spindle `O, and arranged to serve as further drill-proof obstruction when a hole is formed clear through the door by the removal ot' the spindle O, substantially as herein specified. I

5. The shaft F and Worm f, sleeve E, and worm-gear e, in combination with one or more wheels, F F2, adapted to receive a slo1 strong motion from a quick slight motion received through the wheel G from the exterior ot' the safe, and with means l, operated in connection with one or more locks, for controlling the transmission ofv such force to oney or more transverse bolts, as C D, operated thereby, all arran ged and adapted to control suitable mechanism for securing the satedoor, substantially as herein specified.

i the hole is presented and the securing means cannot be removed, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof [have hereunto set my hand, at Providence, Rhode Island, this 24th day ot' June, 1882, in the presence of two sub! scribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM CORLISS.

Witnesses:

A. H. GENTNER, SAML. T. DOUGLAS. 

